Mise à l'épreuve

The idea of doing a comic take on the serious drama "Training Day" may sound strange at first, but they say there are no bad ideas, just bad execution of ideas. While "Ride Along" isn't a bad comedy, at its best it is just mildly amusing. I think a big reason why it isn't funnier than it is is due to the screenplay being very predictable. Once you know the premise of the movie, you can pretty much predict what is going to happen some time before it actually does. The screenplay (written by FOUR screenwriters!) should have been wilder in both its humor and with the plot. But as I said, there are still some amusing moments here and there. What really does keep the movie afloat are the performances by the two leads, Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. They both give very appealing performances and show that they are up to the challenge of whatever the screenplay and direction could throw at them. It's a pity, though, that they weren't given much material that was more biting in nature.

Good fun film with some good action and a decent story which was pretty original. The partnership between Ice cube and Kevin hart was also great.

I love Kevin Hart don't get me wrong. His stand up is hilarious and I also love Ice Cube's movies AND the two of them have great chemistry on screen and all but....it wasn't that funny. This movie had its' funny parts but the problem is most of them you already saw on the preview. This won't go on my list of funniest movies I've ever seen but it had decent action and decent humor. It had a little twist toward the end but thinking of the premise movies like Meet the Parents were funnier or Twenty one jump street or The Heat but what can I say it was filmed well and the two of them together provided enough entertainment so the film is worth a watch.

Fresh off of his hit stand-up comedy film, "Let Me Explain," Kevin Hart returns to the big screen with "Ride Along." While it may be far from the most memorable comedy, I can't help but admit I enjoyed sitting through it.

Kevin Hart plays Ben, an eccentric man who wants to marry the love of his life, Angela (played by Tika Sumpter). Before he does, he seeks to get the blessing of her brother James (played by Ice Cube), a tough, loose cannon cop. In order to prove he's worthy of marrying James' sister, Ben must join James on a day on his job as an officer. Eventually, the two get wrapped up in a case neither of them were expecting.

As expected, the film plays out like a typical buddy-cop comedy: a cop teams up with someone he doesn't like or agree with and the two have to attempt to get along. While this basic plot line has indeed been done to death, this film makes the fortunate decision to skip out on many movie clichés. There is no third-act-breakup, no mopey montage, and no "you're off the case" or "you're fired" scene. While a lack of these clichés does hamper the conflict, it is quite refreshing to see them absent from the film. On the other hand, the script lends itself to other flaws. Several scenes seem to be included for the sole purpose of filling time (such as a random cameo by Jacob Latimore that amounts to nothing). Moreover, the story can be very predictable at time, even with a couple of random and nonsensical plot twists thrown in. Still though, there is a lot of good to this film.

The dialogue, while far from quotable, is consistently funny and is almost guaranteed to keep the theater laughing. The jokes are delivered on a regular basis and never stray too far into campy or mean-spirited territory. Unlike films like "Identity Thief" and "A Madea Christmas," the tone of the film never strays from a comedic romp and always keeps the laughs coming.

Kevin Hart's performance itself is arguably worth the price of admission. Hart's lines are delivered with the impression that he is enjoying making this movie, and his high-energy presence is sure to please his fans. If you are a fan of Kevin Hart, you will most likely enjoy his screen-presence and his great chemistry with Ice Cube even if you find the script to be lacking.

"Ride Along," may not go down as a comedic legend, but in my eyes, it is certainly worth checking out at least as a rental. The flawed script can indeed be overlooked by the gleeful dialogue and Kevin Hart's enthusiasm. I'd say give it a shot, it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

When you think of Ice Cube you think of the hardcore rapper from NWA, the gangster persona, not complex actor. Yet since becoming an actor Ice Cube; real name (O'Shea Jackson), has developed himself into quite the character actor. The comedic prescence of Kevin Hart and this budding police comedy brings the movie full tilt. There is a great story line that suggests looking for comfort and approval betweent Hart's character and Cube's. There are hilarious comments throughout the film and the writing was quite original. This is a great movie with strength in the plot, the characters and just fun throughout. There is no doubt I would highly recommend this to everyone. Kevin Hart is becoming the fast uprising comedic actor of late.